


Soulmate Suplex

by Infidele



Category: SF9 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Baby-sitting, Drama, Fluff, Hopeless Romantic, M/M, this has been sitting in my drafts for over a year, water-skiing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 19:27:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17351192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Infidele/pseuds/Infidele
Summary: Taeyang had imagined that meeting his soulmate would be like a scene from a romantic movie. A special moment he could treasure forever along with the partner that came with it.Reality hit him more like Hulk Hogan trying to break his back in the ring.Or Taeyang and Juho are soulmates, but life is a lot more complicated than Taeyang expects





	Soulmate Suplex

**Author's Note:**

> You can tell by the hair colors which era I started writing this in. Jeez. Hopefully it's not too inconsistent.

Taeyang shrugged on a light blue jacket at the chime of the doorbell. He quickly checked his hair in the mirror then jogged to the front door. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do.

 

“Bye mom! I’ll be back for dinner!” Somewhere in the house his mother was nodding, not thinking twice about his words. Taeyang was a good kid, he always came home on time. Maybe not always. He did go for a walk once and got lost looking at the flowers, but those events were few and far between.

 

Taeyang could hear Youngkyun and Chanhee bickering before he opened to door, revealing the whole Kim family. Youngbin was holding the five year old while his older brother made faces at him from behind Inseong. 

 

“Taeyang! Ready to go?” Inseong drew him in for a warm hug. His chest was wide and soft, drawing him in like a comfy blanket on a cold night. Taeyang had a few memories of snuggling into Inseong when he was much younger and waiting for his parents to come home. They had both since grown older: now Taeyang was the one snuggling Chanhee and Youngkyun while they waited for Inseong to come home.

 

“Make him stop!”

 

“I’m not doing anything wrong!”

 

“He’s making fun of me!” The kids were arguing as they usually do and Youngbin was doing his best to intervene. It wasn’t working too well.

 

Taeyang smiled, “Ready as ever.” He knelt down with open arms, Youngkyun diving into them to hide from the reprimanding tone of his father. “Making faces at your brother again?” Taeyang whispered.

 

“He started it,” Youngkyun mumbled back. 

 

“You’re too handsome to be making faces like that.” Taeyang ruffled Youngkyun’s hair and scooped the child into his arms. 

 

“Sure you’ll be fine with just that? It’ll be windy down at the pier.”

 

“Inseong, I’m sweating bullets right now; just looking at him in that jacket makes me hot. Even if it is windy he’ll be more than fine,” Youngbin said. A wink and a few laughs later they all piled into the car and drove off towards the ocean.

 

Inseong and Taeyang reminisced, telling stories of when he used to babysit Taeyang. The kids were engrossed with a movie that Inseong put on for them, Ghibli if Taeyang knew anything about his former babysitter.

 

“I’m glad that we settled in my hometown, it’s great having you around to look after the kids.” 

 

“I’m glad I get the chance to. Why did you guys decide to move back?” Taeyang asked.

 

“Well, Youngbin’s job is pretty flexible location-wise, but my company moved our headquarters back to Seoul. I don’t want to raise the kids in the city, so moving back here was a good compromise. I commute, Youngbin goes wherever he is needed, and when we are both gone on business trips there are lots of old friends and family here to help with the kids. Works out nicely.” Inseong worked as a fund-manager for a venture capital company and Taeyang still wasn’t too sure about what Youngbin did. They had explained it to him before but he still didn’t understand. They both had to leave town quite often though, so they hired Taeyang to help look after Youngkyun and Chanhee whenever they were gone.

 

“The kids are a lot of fun to hang out with. Plus they are adorable.”

 

“When they aren’t misbehaving, sure,” Youngbin teased. 

 

“Any strings formed since we’ve been gone?” Inseong asked. Taeyang shook his head. The Kim family had only been gone for two weeks, nothing compared to the 20 years Taeyang had been waiting for that red cord to appear wrapped around his wrist.

 

“It’ll happen eventually. Inseong and I didn’t find each other until well into our previous relationships, so don’t be afraid to fall in love with someone else before you meet your soulmate.” Taeyang knew that it was statistically unlikely for him to find his soulmate and that most people who did were like Youngbin and Inseong who had both already started families with other people before they even met. 

 

Taeyang knew that it was perfectly acceptable to date people and have relationships outside of a soul bond, but that didn’t mean that he wanted to. Most people would never find their soulmate, less than 10 percent of the population experiencing the red string that forms to connect soulmates to one another, Taeyang’s parents included. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was always a bit envious of the people he grew up with who had parents that were soulmates.

 

“I know, I know. I’m still going to the group session things, but I might quit soon. I haven’t seen a single bond formed while I’ve been there.”

 

“Sometimes I wonder if those people really even know how these things work,” Inseong said.

 

“There is a bunch of research on it, but it’s kinda like gravity. It exists, we can feel its effects and everything. We just need to discover the Higgs boson of soulmate strings to find out what is actually pulling people together.”

 

“I forget that you are a complete nerd sometimes. I must have read you too many problems from my physics textbooks when you were a kid.” Inseong offered a water bottle to the backseat, “Thirsty?” Taeyang declined.

 

Youngbin grabbed the bottle, receiving a light smack from Inseong. “What? I’m thirsty!”

 

“And you’re also driving!”

 

“So don’t hit me!”

 

“I didn’t hit you, I was hitting on you,” Inseong grinned. While Taeyang enjoyed their playful banter, he could also see where Youngkyun and Chanhee got their mischievous streaks from. He wanted something like that. Something like the water that ended up spilling all over the center console as Inseong attempted to steal the bottle back from Youngbin. Something that wasn’t necessarily perfect, but meant to be.

  
  


“Alrighty kids. Out you go. Let’s be civilized, okay?” Youngbin opened the door and Youngkyun burst from the backseat, followed quickly by his brother.

 

“OCEAN!” they screamed, chasing one another around the car as Inseong tried to pull bags out from the trunk. 

 

“They’ve been cooped up in the car for 2 hours, what did you expect?” Taeyang patted Youngbin’s shoulder as he slid past the defeated dad. “Who wants to race to the beach?”

 

Followed by two loud children Taeyang took off running towards the sand and waves. He slowed down to let them catch him once they hit the hot sand, scooping them up and tickling them. 

 

“Tyang put me down!” Chanhee giggled, slung over Taeyang’s shoulder as he carried the boys back towards the car.

 

“Nope! The sand is too hot for your little feetsies and you guys need to put on sunscreen.”

 

“Taeee,” they whined.

 

“Gotta protect your skin, don’t want you to end up with skin cancer.” Inseong and Youngbin each took a kid from Tae and coated them in thick layers of the white paste.

 

“I’d rather have skin cancer than sunscreen!” Youngkyun squirmed around in Inseong’s grasp.

 

“Hey, you’re getting sunscreen all over my pants! You want some in your hair too?” Inseong threatened. Youngkyun wiped his sunscreened arms all down Inseong’s shirt and look up at his father with an evil grin.

 

“This is because you spoil them so much,” Youngbin commented, sunscreen covering his clothes as well. Chanhee was at that stage where he copied everything Youngkyun was doing, especially the things that drove their parents crazy.

 

“Youngkyun, Chanhee, the longer you take to get your sunscreen rubbed in the more time I have to get to the end of the pier before you,” Taeyang said, rubbing in the last of the sunscreen on his arm. “I’m all good to go now, catch you later slowpokes.”

 

“Tyang that’s not fair,” Chanhee cried as Taeyang started a slow saunter towards the pier. 

 

“Of course it’s fair, I already put on all my sunscreen.”

 

“Dad, rub in my sunscreen faster! Tae I’m gonna beat you! Dad hurry!” Youngkyun called. The sounds of their frantic rush to rub in all the sunscreen faded as Taeyang drew further away. He turned and jogged towards the pier.

 

There were lots of boats out on the water. The cove was a good place for water sports and the wind was perfect for sailing. The pier was filled with people, not completely packed, but close to it. A large banner hung over where the sand and concrete met the heavy wooden planks:  _ Sensation Cove Summer Tournament. _

 

“I’m gonna win!” shrieked a small blur as it darted past Taeyang and onto the pier. 

 

“Stop running so fast!” called another, chasing the first. 

 

Taeyang smiled, picking up the pace to follow the two boys through the crowd. Most of the other people were standing near the sides watching the competition or whatever was happening. Booty shorts and bikinis, swim trunks and sunglasses, everyone on the pier looked like they called people dude and lived in a banged up VW van.

 

Keeping his eyes on the boys, Taeyang failed to see the two guys walk out in front of him. 

 

“Woah dude, that was an intense hug.” Taeyang had run straight into him, nearly knocking them over. He probably would have too if the guy hadn’t swung him around like they were lost lovers meeting for the first time in ten years. It was a great way to reduce his momentum but it was also a bit strange considering they were complete strangers.

 

“Jaeyoon, stop talking like that it makes you seem dumb.”

 

“But me and this guy just had a moment.”

 

“Clearly not meant to be. No red string, not that special. We need to go, Juho’s up next.” The other guy was dragging Jaeyoon away from Taeyang, who was still confused. “Nice meeting you whoever you are, watch where you’re going next time, okay?”

 

“Who was that? Friends?” Youngbin asked, hand on Taeyang’s shoulder.

 

“No, I just ran into them while chasing after the kids.”

 

“That’s pretty strange. Speaking of, Youngbin, you want to go find the kids? Taeyang and I can go get us a table at the restaurant.”

 

“Sure thing. Try to get a table outside though. Apparently this is a pretty big competition and I’d like to watch some.” Inseong waved him off and they headed towards the pier restaurant. 

 

The breeze was warm and nice. It played with his hair, but not enough to get annoying. Taeyang took off his jacket and tied it around his waist to let the salty air kiss his skin.

 

He could just barely see the area where the competitors were showing off their tricks and stunts on the water. It was being run from the docks where spectators weren’t allowed, so they lined the pier and shore to watch.

 

“Table for 5 please.”

 

“Right this way sir.” Taeyang giggled, it was funny hearing someone call Inseong that unironically. He got a small smack from his former babysitter that did nothing to dull the humor of it.

 

“Would it be possible for us to be seated on the terrace outside?” The waitress lead them to a nice round table on the little patio facing the competition area. They were lucky because a group had just cleared out, leaving them a good spot close to the edge of the pier. She left the menus and some crayons on the table with them.

 

“I've always wanted to try water skiing,” Inseong said, drawing on his sons’ menus with the crayons. Sometimes he was more of a kid than they were.

 

“Me too, but-” Taeyang started, but Youngbin and the kids appeared with a story drooling out of their mouths. 

 

“Youngkyun, Chanhee, tell Dad what I found you doing.”

 

“I was gonna swim to Japan!” Youngkyun bounced up and down with excitement. 

 

“And Chanhee what were you doing?”

 

“Trying to push him in.” Taeyang knew that look: Chanhee wasn't remorseful in the slightest. Inseong scolded them and promised to take away their dessert privileges for a week. 

 

They sat down and the kids immediately took to decorating their menus with as many colors and lines as possible. Inseong’s drawings disappeared under their frantic scribbles.

 

“Have you guys been watching the tournament thing?” Taeyang and Inseong shook their heads. “Well I overheard that it's a pretty big one. The winners get to go on to a national tournament and compete.”

 

“How do they determine a winner?” Youngkyun asked.

 

“Probably a judge panel. I guess you could go by times if it was some kind of course, but I'm not too sure how that would work,” Inseong postulated. “I mean, it looks like all those buoys out there could be marking a course. Honestly I didn't even know water-skiing was a competitive sport until today.”

 

“Look, over there! That guy is doing some tricks,” Youngbin pointed out. The skier had just landed some airborne stunt and was picking up speed again.

 

“Why is his hair red?” Chanhee said. It was really red: the color stood out against the dark water and the skier's wetsuit.

 

“He probably dyed it, like me,” Taeyang said. He ran a hand through the light brown locks to show the darker roots peeking from beneath.

 

“I want to dye my hair too!” Youngbin and Inseong exchanged a worried look. “I want to dye it orange!”

 

“Chanhee, you can’t dye your hair, your school doesn’t allow it sweetheart,” Inseong replied. The image of Chanhee with bright orange hair crossed Taeyang’s mind and made him stifle a laugh. He’d make one cute looking carrot.

 

“Woah! Dad, did you see that flip!” Youngkyun tugged at Youngbin’s sleeve. “Dad! Dad! Dad! Did you see that one!” The skier was getting closer to them and they could see the stunts he was pulling off with more clarity. Youngkyun was completely entranced and could hardly stay in his seat. Chanhee grew interested from his brother’s excitement and joined in pestering their dads about each trick.

 

The skier was pretty good. Taeyang didn’t have much else to compare him too, but the guy would soar high into the air and do flips like it was nothing. If that wasn't pretty good, then Taeyang didn't know water-skiing.

 

The way the wake moved and how the skier flawlessly flipped over it time and time again was mesmerizing. Taeyang lost himself in the pendulous movement as it drew near. It had the opposite effect of hypnotism; with every swing Taeyang found himself drawn further out of his own illusion. He would never have what Inseong and Youngbin shared. His years of pining were futile. Taeyang was on the wrong side of the statistics and it was high time to get over himself.

 

He used to have dreams where the red string would appear around his wrist and he would follow it to some kind of fairy tale land where his soulmate would be waiting for him. The string would be brighter red than any other and thick with knots and braids to make their bond strong. Looking back Taeyang should have dreamed of meeting his soulmate at one of the soulmate connecting groups and having a weak and frayed string because it would be better than no string at all. He felt foolish for having wanted to be more than anyone else.

 

Like this, he was lost in thought as he was suddenly ripped from his seat. 

 

There wasn’t even time to react. Youngbin and Inseong’s dad reflexes had them reaching for Taeyang as he was pulled out of his seat, but even they were too slow. Taeyang disappeared over the railing and down towards the water of the cove. 

 

There were a lot of different emotions flying around inside him as he fell. A big one was happiness, because there was a red cord tied around his wrist. Another big one was fear, since it was pulling him to his demise. Taeyang did not know how to swim. The babysitter in him was concerned about the boys trying to follow him off the pier, and the son in him wanted to apologize to his mother.

 

Hitting the surface of the water hurt. He landed on his side with only his flailing feet to break the fall. It was not an experience he would like to try again.

 

Once he broke the surface he realized how cold the water was. It was only the beginning of summer and it was clear why the competitors were wearing wetsuits now. His clothes were heavy, dragging him towards the bottom as he struggled to surface. He grasped at the red string attached to his wrist hoping it could draw him to somewhere he could breathe, but it was slack and flaccid in the water. 

 

Drowning was unlikely, since multiple people had seen him fall off the pier and there were probably professional medics around due to the competition. That didn’t make it any more pleasant. His hands clawed at emptiness while water filled his nose and mouth. He kicked his legs and met nothing but the waves tugging him back and forth. He resigned himself to sinking into the frigid depths, hoping that someone would come before he passed out.

 

Strong hands grabbed him by the waist and pulled him up to the surface. Taeyang wasn’t magically able to breathe now that his head was above water, instead his vision was becoming spotty. Bright red dominated his vision as more hands grabbed him and pulled him onto something solid.

 

“Are you alright?” “Is he breathing?” “CPR! Do CPR!” “Go get some towels you fool!” Even though he couldn’t see much, Taeyang could hear the chaos around him. He was put on his side and coughed up what felt like gallons of salty water. It was certainly not how he had ever imagined today going.

 

It was supposed to just be a nice outing with the family he babysat for before they went on their 6 week summer vacation. He dressed nicely because he always did when he went out, just in case that day happened to be the one he and his soulmate finally crossed paths. They were supposed to get lunch, have some fun on the beach (and not in the water), and the worst thing that could happen was Taeyang having to rush into the ocean to save one of the boys (who were better at swimming than him anyways).

 

Dry towels were thrown over him and rubbed his back as he finished sputtering out the last of the liquid in his lungs. Taeyang wanted to close his eyes and just make everything go away. 

 

“Are you alright? Did you get hit anywhere when you fell in?” He opened his eyes to a beautiful man expressing concern over him. Shying in embarrassment and disbelief, Taeyang shook his head. “Good--that would be so much paperwork. Juho, would it kill you to drive slower?”

 

“Seokwoo he almost drowned we need to get help.”

 

“He is alive, breathing, and warming up. Slow down so we don’t tip over or I’m taking back the helm.” Seokwoo turned back to face Taeyang and once again he was nearly blinded by his beauty. “Hold tight just a bit, we can get you some real help in like 2 minutes.”

 

“T-t-thank y-y-you,” Taeyang croaked. His teeth chattered together despite the towels wrapped around him. Seokwoo wrapped his arms around Taeyang, gently kneading the towel into Taeyang’s wet clothes and rigid muscles.

 

“Hold on just a bit okay? We will get you changed out of those wet clothes and warm soon enough.” Taeyang leaned into him, drawn to the toasty touches. He must be dreaming at this point.

 

“Seokwoo,” Juho called, “you should probably take over I can’t focus enough right now to dock this thing.”

 

“Juho, you wouldn’t be able to focus over here either. Stick to what you know and drive the boat,” Seokwoo commanded. Juho whined a little but did as Seokwoo asked.

 

Taeyang stared at the red cord tied around his wrist. He couldn’t stop thinking about how fate had a cruel streak, almost sending him to spend eternity in the ocean’s depths when his soulmate was so close. Since the string was limp, clinging to the fabric of his jacket, one of the guys on the boat had to be his soulmate. He couldn’t concentrate well enough follow the red string as his body shivered with shock.

 

The hopeless romantic in Taeyang wanted them to have met at a new years party, singing karaoke like in  _ High School Musical _ . He would even take something as simple as sitting next to each other on a plane, discovering their strings and talking for the rest of the flight. While he wanted dramatic and heartstopping, he didn’t want dead.

 

Taeyang wanted to hate the way that they had to meet, but he knew he should be grateful instead. He was happy, really, really happy, to have a soulmate and to have met him while he was still young. It just sucked that he was dying during the whole process.

 

“Are y-y-you my s-s-soulmat-t-te?” he stuttered. Seokwoo laughed, rolling up his sleeves to show Taeyang his bare wrists.

 

“I know, I’m a catch. But sorry love. Maybe next time.” Seokwoo failed an attempt at a smooth wink. Taeyang could overlook it because it was still cute.

 

His eyes trailed the red string as it wound around itself and on the floor of the boat. It snaked up the sides where the water clung to it and made little piles where it was drawn to itself. Every loop and turn eventually brought his eyes from the last piece that lifted itself from the floor to the wreath of red wrapped around Juho’s wrist.

 

He was focused on bringing the boat into the dock, so Taeyang could only see the back of his bright red hair dripping salt water. This was the person he was fated to love. His other half. His soulmate.

 

It certainly wasn’t how Taeyang had imagined this would go. For one, he never thought he would be drowning when he met his soulmate. The soaking wet and shivering look was not his best. 

 

They pulled up to the dock, Seokwoo leaving Taeyang to jump out and secure the boat. Juho looked back at Taeyang anxiously and for the first time he got a glimpse of the sharp features of his face.

 

He had a very distinct nose. It was the first and only thing Taeyang could remember before he had turned away again, jumping up to help Seokwoo with the boat. His nose was big: he could probably fit a couple coins in his nostrils (not that Taeyang advised that kind of thing). It wasn’t a bad nose, just very prominent. If Taeyang had to describe Juho with one word it would be nose.

 

Wait. Scratch that, he meant soulmate. He would describe Juho as his soulmate.... Nose might work better though. If someone had to pick him out of a crowd they probably couldn’t based off the word soulmate, but it would be possible to narrow it down a bit if he gave the word nose. Though in that case, red might work even better.

 

Taeyang’s eyes followed Juho’s bright hair as he ran about the dock frantically. He talked to a man briefly before running towards a building near the shore. Their connecting thread trailed behind him, unraveling the coils haphazardly strewn across the floor of the boat.

 

Their string was long. Long enough that it had formed when Juho was skiing over a hundred meters away from where Taeyang had been on the pier. It was strong too. Strong enough to pull him off without snapping. He hoped that the Inseong and the rest weren’t worrying about him too much.

 

Seokwoo helped Taeyang off of the boat and they followed the trail of red cord towards the beach. They wrapped it in neat coils around Taeyang’s arms as they went. It was a wonder that Juho had managed to get so far without a snag or catch pulling him back.

 

“So, what’s your name? Where are you from?” Seokwoo asked. Taeyang told him; he had no reason not to at this point. They walked slowly, because Taeyang was still a little unsteady and Seokwoo was gathering up the bright red cord. The lifeguards stopped them and checked over Taeyang to make sure he really was okay, but it seemed like Seokwoo and Juho had done well enough for the time being since she let them continue on their way.

 

He learned that Seokwoo and Juho were childhood friends. They had grown up together near the cove and water sports had always been a huge part of their lives. Seokwoo explained that they started off as rivals, but once they got into high school their interests started to diverge and they became simply best friends.

 

Taeyang was curious about Juho, especially since it seem like his soulmate was running away from him at the moment. The string spanning between them seemed to never end. 

 

Seokwoo was happy to share weird facts and memories that came to mind as they walked. They reached the end of the dock and followed the string towards the competition booths that were set up on the beach. Apparently Juho had probably gone to explain the situation to the officials so that he could get a second chance on the course. 

 

“He must really love water-skiing.”

 

“I think so. He’s trying to make his professional career work out so that he doesn’t have to join the family business. His parents are pretty chill about him chasing his dreams and everything, but that only lasts for as long as his dreams bring in the dough.”

 

Taeyang knew that argument all too well. He wouldn’t be studying at university, working babysitting jobs on the side, if his parents were open to the idea of him joining a dance crew or starting a band.

 

“I think I see him by the refs, let’s head that way.” There was someone with bright red hair standing near the officials, and if it wasn’t Juho, Taeyang had no idea who else had such eccentric tastes in hair dye. 

 

“Have you dated many dudes before?” Seokwoo asks him. Taeyang shakes his head. He hasn’t dated any dudes before, or dudettes for that matter. Taeyang was a hopeless romantic pining after a soulmate he wasn’t even sure existed, and now he was starting to get a grip on how inexperienced that made him in the realistic romance department.

 

The taller man chuckled. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. You guys are soulmates.” Taeyang hoped so as well. 

 

The words were probably supposed to make Taeyang feel better, but as they got closer to Juho, Seokwoo’s words twisted into Taeyang’s head and echoed like a thousand voices screaming at a bottomless chasm.

 

Juho wasn’t talking to the officials anymore. Rather, he had his arms wrapped around the waist of some man, their bodies drawn close together. It took a moment for it to register that the mop of red hair really did belong to Juho, and that the crimson string wound around Taeyang’s arms was still attached to the man’s wrist. 

 

What Taeyang’s brain couldn’t comprehend was the man in Juho’s arms. The man who was caressing the cheek of Taeyang’s soulmate, whose lips were pressed against Juho’s as if his kiss was the one that could make the heap of cord in Taeyang’s arms disappear.

 

It was like time froze. Taeyang felt like the world had disappeared around him except for Juho and the other, standing maybe fifty meters in front of him. 

 

That was his soulmate, right? They were connected by a red string, right?

 

Taeyang couldn’t fathom this situation. It made no sense in his head. Was Juho confused? Did Juho even know that they were soulmates? Did the red-haired man already have a soulmate? Who was the man kissing him? Why were they kissing? It seemed more like a bad dream, or some kind of fucked up drama, than real life.

 

He had waited all those years. He waited because he believed that his soulmate would feel the same. That they would meet dramatically, and share their first kiss somewhere romantic. That their meeting would kindle a lifetime of passion and love for one another. 

 

He knew that the world wasn’t like that. Taeyang knew that such a reality was a pipe dream. What he didn’t know was how numb he would feel; how absolutely frigid the world was when a lifetime of anticipation shattered in front of him.

 

“Hey, you alright?” Seokwoo turned back to ask him. Taeyang couldn’t bring himself to take another step forward. It would be like hurling himself off of a sheer cliff. Throwing himself into the jagged spires of acceptance that this was his reality. Ripping out his own heart and discarding it along with all of his other useless aspirations.

 

How could this be reality? That his soulmate would chose another, knowing fully that Taeyang and him were bound together by  _ destiny _ .

 

Seokwoo grabbed his shoulder. “Maybe we should go to the medic tent first. You look like you’re about to pass out.” 

 

His touch seemed to bring Taeyang back to the present. The world was not limited to just three anymore. He tried to breathe evenly. He shouldn’t get too wrapped up in his thoughts. This was reality. He had barely met Juho. Juho didn’t even know Taeyang’s name. He was lucky to have a soulmate at all. Juho probably had his reasons for kissing the other man. Maybe they were just close friends as well. Really close friends.

 

“It’s alright. I’m fine.”

 

“You sure?” Seokwoo asked. Taeyang put on a smile. He almost wished Seokwoo really was his soulmate instead. Taeyang could already tell the tall man was too kind for his own good.

 

“I’m sure.” Seokwoo didn’t look to convinced but they started walking again. He picked up the conversation where they left off, even though Taeyang was too distracted to listen. Before they were close enough to interrupt, Taeyang summoned the courage to ask Seokwoo the burning question in his mind: “Who’s that with Juho?”

 

Seokwoo had to check twice to be sure before laughing a little. “Ah. That’s Juho’s boyfriend, Jaeyoon.”

 

Taeyang was pretty sure that was the moment he actually died.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for a bit of a cliff hanger. This isn't going to be too long of fic, just long enough for some drama, maybe a touch of angst, and a few more twists here and there. Hope you enjoyed!! I'm on [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/_infidele_) if you wanna chat :))))


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